Who Did Your Ink?: Hayley Cipro collects tattoos like big-kid stickers

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      Who Did Your Ink? is the Straight’s weekly feature, where we ask badass Vancouverites about the talented artists, indelible stories, and, at times, questionable antics behind their most treasured tattoos.

      Whats your name? Hayley Cipro.

      What do you do? I work in sales as a showroom manager.

      Who did your ink? Almost all of my tattoos are done by different artists; I like to think of it like a collection. When I was younger, I was obsessed with collecting stickers—I guess these are my big-kid stickers, if you will. 

      The gypsy woman was done by Matt Houston, who was working at Gastown Tattoo Parlour (105 West Cordova Street) at the time. He is in London, U.K., at the moment. I am keeping my fingers crossed that he will come back to Vancouver, and I can get more work done by him. He is my all-time favourite artist—I love his style, and he is just so talented. He also did the hand on my forearm and a sun design pulled from an Italian card game called Scopa on the back of my arm. 

      Why did you choose this artists to do your tattoos? He had done some work on a friend of mine and I just fell in love with it. I had to have a piece of my own! He was such a nice guy that I kept going back. The intention was for him to do my whole arm, but he moved away. I'm saving the other arm for him in hopes that he returns.

      Is there any meaning behind them? The gypsy woman is a representation of myself: always up for adventure, and never quite entirely settled. I gave her green eyes, just like mine. The upside to that tattoo is that no matter how old I get, I will always have a pair of perky boobs on my body.

      The hand is my mother’s hand. She always has beautiful long nails and a delicate, graceful touch, which I think Matt did a great job of portraying. The amethyst ring she is wearing was given to her by my grandparents when she moved to Canada, which I now have. It is my most special possession. It was Matt's idea to put a heart on the sleeve which could not have been more fitting. 

      The sun, like I said, is based on imagery from an Italian card game called Scopa. My dad is Italian and it brings back great memories as a child playing that game with him.

      Who’s your favourite local tattoo artist? Such a hard question! I've met so many amazingly talented people through getting these pieces. Every one of them is my favourite: Matt Houston at Seven Doors in London, U.K.; Sylvain Proulx at Tattoo Lounge in Montreal; Chad Woodley at Fraser Street Tattoo Shop (3377 Fraser Street); Dax Brunet, formerly of Fraser Street Tattoo Shop; Kyle Hoffarth at Victory Tattoo (2116 East Hastings Street); Nick Wasko at Strathcona Tattoo (684 East Hastings Street); Bonnie Dobbin and Mark Stewart at Forever Tattoo in Cape Coral, Florida. 

      What’s next on your ink list? I really would like to get something from Dan Kurc at Victory Tattoo. Maybe a nice, ornate traditional-style flower... 

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